Acetylene-gas generator.



No. 649,947. Patented May 22, |900. C. W. NICKOLS.

AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application led Mar. 17, 1899.) (No Model.)

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CllltRLlS W. NIGKOLS, OF REEDSBURG, VISCONSIN.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

SPECIFGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 649,947, dated May 22,1900. Application lecl March 17, 1899. Serial Noi 709,397. (No model.)

To @ZZ 1,071,071?, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES W. NICHOLS, of Reedsburg, in the county ofSault and State of lVisconsin, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in acetylene-Gas Generators, of which the following is adescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which area part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in machines or apparatuses adaptedfor generating acetylene gas from carbid; and the invention has for itsobject the production of a more convenient, satisfactory, andgenerallyuseful apparatus than has heretofore been in use. An apparatusof this character is very desirable for use by traveling eircuses,shows, and street-stands, and with reference to such use I have shown inthe drawings herewith a portable apparatus of a form, size, andconstrction that is especially adapted for such employment as justsuggested. The adoption of this form in this application is notintendedto suggest that the apparatus is to be limited in use to such purposes,for in this or similar forms and in the same or larger sizes it isadapted for use in buildings or elsewhere either as a portable er apermanent construction.

The invention consists of the apparatus, its parts and combinations ofparts, as herein described and claimed, or their equivalents.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section centrally of my improvedapparatus. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the gas-holder. Fig. 3 is anunder side view of the gas-holder, parts being broken away forconvenience of illustration. Fig. e is a detail of a fragment of therelief device in section.

In the drawings, is an open-topped watertank, shown in this instance ascylindrical in form and as constructed of sheet metal and of such sizeas to be conveniently portable.

6 is a gas-holder with a closed top and open bottom conveniently made ofsheet metal in cylindrical form and of such size diametrically as toreadily and loosely fit movable vertically in the water-tank 5. Agas-generating chamber 7 is formed by a sheetemetal cylinder securedpermanently at its upper end to the under side oi' the top of thegas-holder 6, preferably centrally thereof, and from which it projectsdownwardly a less distance than the height of the gas-holder 6. Thisgaschamber 7 is considerably less in diameter than the gas-holder 6, isopen at its lower end, and its top or cover is provided with an apertureconveniently closed by the screw-threaded cap 8, turning by its threadinto the cover of the gas-chamber 7, which is also the cover of thegas-holder 6. A carbid-holding basket 9, fitting releasably in thegas-chamber 7, is constructed with sheet-metal cylindrical walls and areticulated or perforated bottom 10, preferably located at a littledistance above the lower end of the side walls of the basket. The bottom10 is provided with an aperture 11, preferably centrally thereof, and atransverse bar 12, secured at its ends to the walls of the basket,extends across the basket dia# metrically below the aperture 11. Thebasket 9 is insertible in and removable from the chamber 7 through theopen bottom of the chamber and is secured releasably in the chamber bybayonet-joints 13 (one only of which is shown) near the upper extremityof the basket.

The gas-chamber 7 is connected with the space in the gas-holder G,exterior to the gaschamber, by tubing 14, forming a duct or passage forthe free flow of gas therethrough. This tubing .is provided with ashutoff valve at 15, adapted to close the passage from the gas-chamberto the gas-holder. The tubing 14C is also ad visably provided with avent-nozzle 16, provided with a stop-cock 17. The duct formed by thetubing 111 originates in the gas-chamber 7 in a strainer-chamber 18,conveniently constructed in cylindrical form by perforated sheet metaland attached to the under surface of the top of the gas-chamn ber 7about and adjacent to the aperture through the cover into the tubing 14.A supply-nozzle 19 is secured to the exterior surface of the top of thegas-holder 6,-and the passage therethrough opens through the top of thegas-holder into its interior. The noz'- zle is provided with a shut-oil.valve therein at 20.

A relief-pi pe 2l, preferably made bifurcate, extends from near thelower extremity of the gas-holder (5,011 the inside thereof, upwardlythrough the top of the gas-holder and is provided with a hollowscrew-threaded plug 22. The elongated plug 22 is advisably provided witha small aperture 23 and is provided with IOO a supply ofilteringfmaterial 24 in its chainber. This filtering material may be newire and sieve-like in character. The relief-pipe is also preferablyprovided with a vent 25 at a little dist-ance above the bottom edge ofthe gas-holder 6, so as to provide for the escape of gas therethrough toa certain extent before the gas is forced down to the bottom of thetubes,through which it canescape more freely. These relief-pipes 2lbeing located at one side of the gas-holder 6 it is desirable to havethem counterbalanced by aweight 26, secured to the wall of thegas-holder, at the opposite side thereof. When excess of gas in thegas-holder seeks relief through the pipes 21 and apertured plug 22, thegas rising in one of the pipes 21 is liable to carry some water with itupwardly, but this water being carried up in one of the pipes 21 will attheir junction run over into and down the other pipe, so that escape ofwater from the gas-holder is thereby prevented, and also such noise isobviated as would be made by the escape of gas aud water if there wereonly one pipe.

To prepare the apparatus for generating gas, lift the gas-holder 6 outof the tank 5 and lill the tank with water to within a few inches of thetop. Release and remove the basket 9 from the gas-chamber 7 and put asupply of carbid in the basket and replace it in the gas-chamber. Thenreplace the gasholder 6 in the tank, closing the shut-o valve at l5 andthe vent-cock 17 and opening the valve at 2O for the escape of air, andlet the.

gas-holder sink in the water nearly or quite to the bottom of the tank.Then close the valve at 20, slightly open the valve at 15, and open widethe vent-cock 17 for a few seconds to allow the air to escape from thegas-generating chamber. The apparatus is then ready for use, and aflexible tube may be attached to the nozzle 19 to convey the gas to aburner or burners. The water in contact with the carbid in the basketwill quickly generate a quantity of gas, which rising to the top ofgas-chamber will overflow through the tubing 14 into the gas-holder andcause it to rise in the water until the carbid is lifted out of generalform or if for any other reason the apparatus is so constructed orlocated that it will be impossible or inconvenient to lift the gasholderfrom the tank, then the apparatus may be put in condition for generatinggas as folu lows: The basket 9 being in the gas-chamber and thegas-holder 6 being in the tank 5, remove the plug 8, open the valves at15 and v20 and the Vent-cock 17, and then lill the tank with water untilit covers the gas-holder. This excludes all the air from the gas-holderand froml the gas-generating chamber. Now close the valves 15 and 2O andinsert the tube of a suction-pump through the aperture in the top of thegas-chamber and down through the aperture 11 until it rests on the bar12. Pump the water out of the gas-chamber down to the bar 12 and removethe pump. Put a supply of carbid in the basket and close the aperturewith its plug 8. Water will still remain in the gas-holder outside thegas-chainber up to the top; but the gas-holder by its buoyancy. willhave been raised in the tank, so that water therein outside thegas-holder will be only 'at`abo'ut alevel with the bottom of thegas-holder or a little above. Open valve 15 slightly and open vent-cock17 fora few seconds, just long enough to let the air in the gas-chamberescape. Then close the cock 17 and open wide the valve 15. Now connectthe nozzle 19 up to a burner, and the apparatus is ready for use.

Vhat l claim as my invention is- 1. An acetylene-gas-generatingapparatus, comprising an open-top water-tank, an openbottom gas-holdertelescopable freely in the water tank, .an open bottom gas chamberwithin the gas-holder of less diameter and height than the gas-holder,the gas-chamber being located at and secured permanently to the top ofthe gas-holder, tubing at and above the top of the gas-holder connectingthe gasgenerating chamber with the gas holder chamber outside of thegas-generating chamber, a cut-off valve in the tubing, a vent-nozzlewith a valve discharging from the tubing, a supply-nozzle leading fromthe top of the gas-holder, a detachable basket in the gasgeneratingchamber removable therefrom through the bottom, and a gas-reliefconsisting of two-leg pipes -in the gas-holder, each extending upwardlyfrom near the bottom of the holder, and uniting at the top of the holderabove the water in the gas-holder and extending upwardly therefrom in asingle discharge-pipe, one of said legs being provided with an apertureat a distance upwardly from its lower extremity.

2. The combination with an open-bottom gas-holder, and an open-bottomgas-generating chamber of less diameter and height than the gas-holderlocated in and secured to the top of the gas-holder and provided with acapped aperture in the top, of a basket in the gas-generating chambersecured thereto and provided with a perforated bottom having an enlargedcentral aperture, and a transverse bar secured to the basket below theenlarged aperture in the perforated bottom thereof, the bar beingadapted to support the end of a suction-pipe inserted through theunclosed aperture in the top and through the enlarged aperture in theperforated bottom, for withdrawing water from within the gas-holder.

3. In a gas-generator,a watertank,a closedtop gas-holder in thewater-tank provided with a relief-pipe open at the lower ends near ICOthe bottom of the gas-holder normally in the by escaping gas in one leglof Iche pipe to run 1o water in the tank and gas-holder and extenddownthe other leg thereof.

ing upward through Jthe top of the holder and In testimony whereof Iailx my signature partially closed at the top by a removable in presenceof two Witnesses.

hollowT plug, the pipe being fnroate from its 1 lower extremities toabove the top of the gas- CHARLES V NICKOLS holder and above the surfaceof the Water lVitnesses: and one leg having an aperture medially, theJOHN D. DOVER, device being adapted to permit water :raised FRED. W.ELLENBERG.

